HJAR Sep/Oct 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  SEP / OCT 2021 59 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com Women’s Mental Health medical journal earlier this month about a possible correlation between the increase in postpartum psychosis cases and the pandemic. “We think that the stress of the pandemic, combined with being isolated from their families and friends, contributed to their psychosis.” One of Coker’s patients, well-educated and with no history of psychotic behavior, began exhibit- ing postpartum psychosis symptoms shortly after giving birth. “She wasn’t sleeping, saying bizarre things to her family,” said Coker. “She was paranoid about anyone caring for her baby but herself.” After being seen in the UAMS Emergency Department, the patient was admitted to the Psy- chiatric Research Institute’s women’s inpatient unit. “She was very disorganized and aggressive, which is typical of postpartum psychosis,” said Coker, who saw her symptoms improve greatly after two weeks in the hospital. “We convinced her to take medication to help her sleep, which made a big difference.” Coker said that stress related to childbirth, even in a normal, non-pandemic setting, is something that should be taken seriously. “It’s always some- thing that you should be aware of, stress causes bad things to happen.” “We think this is a wake-up call for women and their families about how much support new moth- ers need,” said Bider. “We should always be ask- ing these questions regardless of whether we’re having a pandemic or not. We need to recognize a problem before it becomes full-blown psychosis.” U.S. News &World Report Ranks Four Arkansas Children’s Specialties Among its 2021-22 List of Best Children’s Hospitals U.S. News & World Report has ranked Arkan- sas Children’s in four specialties in the new 2021- 22 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings published online. The state’s only pediatric health system is proud to have the following programs ranked among the national list: • Cardiology and Heart Surgery • Nephrology • Pulmonology and Lung Surgery • Urology “We are honored that U.S. News & World Report continues to highlight the outcomes Arkansas Children’s delivers for families,” said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, Arkansas Children’s pres- ident and CEO. “This type of national recogni- tion is only possible because of our team’s inno- vation and commitment. This year, more than ever, our providers have stepped up to the chal- lenge to help Arkansas cope with the pandemic response. The Arkansas Children’s team deserves every accolade as they strive daily to improve child health and make Arkansas a safer and healthier place to be a child.” The 15th annual Best Children’s Hospitals rank- ings recognize the top 50 pediatric facilities across the U.S. in 10 pediatric specialties: cancer, cardiol- ogy and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinol- ogy, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal sur- gery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology. This year, U.S. News & World Report also released regional rankings. Arkansas Children’s is ranked within the Southeast Region along with pediatric hospitals from Alabama, Florida, Geor- gia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. A hospital’s regional ranking status is assessed by evaluating the total number of specialties the hospital was ranked in — better rankings are assigned to hospitals with more national rankings. The rankings rely on clinical data and on an annual survey of pediatric specialists. The meth- odology factors in patient outcomes such as mor- tality and infection rates as well as available clini- cal resources and compliance with best practices. U.S. News introduced the Best Children’s Hospi- tals rankings in 2007 to help families of children with rare or life-threatening illnesses find the best medical care available. Arkansas Children’s Names JamieWiggins, PhD(c), MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, as Chief Operations Officer Arkansas Children’s welcomes children’s health executive Jamie Wiggins, PhD(c), MBA, RN, NEA- BC, FACHE, to the position of executive vice pres- ident and chief operations officer after an exten- sive and competitive national search, the state’s only pediatric health system announced. He began serving in the system-wide role in August. Wiggins joins the Arkansas Children’s team after serving most recently as senior vice presi- dent, chief clinical officer and chief nursing offi- cer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. Wiggins has also held leadership positions at Nicklaus Chil- dren’s Hospital, Children’s Minnesota and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. “With nearly 20 years of experience in chil- dren’s hospital clinical and administrative opera- tions, Jamie brings a deep understanding of pedi- atric healthcare safety, quality, and innovation to his new role,” said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, presi- dent and CEO of Arkansas Children’s. “During the search process, we identified the need for a stra- tegic, humble and empathetic leader capable of executing on the improvement of patient experi- ence, employee engagement, and growth. I am confident we have found that leader in Jamie.” In his role as COO, Wiggins will be a driver of the strategic vision in advancement of solidify- ing Arkansas Children’s as a destination for pedi- atric care in the state and broader region while addressing and improving the health of the chil- dren it serves. Wiggins is a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing candidate at Louisiana State University Health Sci- ences Center New Orleans, where he is research- ing the association of the nursing professional practice environment on pediatric acute care out- comes. He also is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is a certified nurse executive-advanced by the American Nurses Cre- dentialing Center. He earned an associate degree in nursing from Jamie Wiggins, PhD(c), MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE